Under the Lights
by Lucicelo
Summary: Asato Tsuzuki never thought he'd meet Japan's Samurai Doll in their skating rink.


_A/N: I drew out Hisoka skating which then turned into this long ass oneshot which ended up taking a mind of its own. I added way too much into this and I'm hoping it pays off. Hisoka has some of his empath powers. He uses his gloves and covering up any available inch whenever he bumps into people._

 _I keep making Nagare into a prick and have him disinherit Hisoka in these AUs lmao_

 _Hisoka is twenty and Tsuzuki is twenty-four. I decided on playing with their ages a little bit._

 _-Lucicelo_

* * *

Tsuzuki found himself in a predicament. Standing at the side of the rink, he observed the new star in the figure skating world glide along the ice with finesse. Working at a skating rink provided nostalgia for his past pinning to enter the sport. His financial problems in his youth gave no leeway for him to even make an attempt. He dropped the idea once he went into the workforce to chip into the monthly expenses. At the time, he learned through sporadic lessons, more than enough for him not to fall on his ass while inspecting the rink.

Yuma and Saya, two of their seasonal workers, informed him earlier in the day that Hisoka Kurosaki booked hours of private time at their skating center. Japan's _samurai doll_ chose their ice rink to practice in. Tsuzuki gathered as much from their squeals and mutters about sneaking a picture. Their shift ended before the star arrived and due to personal responsibilities they couldn't stick around long. Both pouted on their way out, commenting on his luck at having the closing shift on this particular day.

He stopped himself before whistling at Hisoka when he landed a triple salcow and a double toe loop. Hisoka's arms remained poised and graceful. No toe out of place. Tsuzuki joined his hands together over his chest, amazed at Hisoka's agility and naturalness on the ice.

The thought of Tatsumi lecturing him about vacating the rink on time caused him to shiver. Sometimes, Tatsumi entered a certain mode where his voice became scarier than usual. Having known Tatsumi since high school, he learned the times when not to piss off the guy. Even the somewhat mouthy newcomers succumbed to Tatsumi's reign and didn't dare go against him. Best not to rouse the man into a controlled, but still _terrifying_ frenzy.

Inspecting his surroundings, he found no one else trying to come back inside. He placed the ropes out earlier in front of the entrance, thinking no one stayed on the ice. Past a certain point, people left early to warm up their feet and go home. This wasn't the case with the petite skater. Fascinated beyond belief, he maneuvered onto a bench and sat down.

Checking the time on his watch, he cringed, standing up he cupped his hand next to his face. "Excuse me!" Kurosaki halted, turning to him with a tilt of a brow. "You have to get off the ice! The rink is closed now!"

Receiving a nod in response, Kurosaki skated over to the rink's entrance, wasting no time in putting the guards on his skates. Showing no annoyance at having been ushered out, he grabbed his duffel bag and walked over to the locker room.

* * *

Tsuzuki prepared himself for Yuma and Saya cornering him when he came in for the morning shift. Once he sat down, both of them came charging in, hopeful smiles on their faces. Seemingly out of nowhere. He expected them to ask questions about Hisoka Kurosaki. Of course, he waited until they began speaking to him.

Saya slid beside him on the large bench in the break room. "Hey Tsuzuki."

"Hi." Tsuzuki sipped his canned juice while giving each woman a glance.

Yuma stood in front of him, fluttering her eyelashes. "Did you take a picture of him?" Tsuzuki tilted his head to the side. "You know...Hisoka Kurosaki. Did you sneak a picture?"

"Nope."

"Why didn't you take a picture of him?!" Yuma huffed, her pout became pronounced as she stared up at Tsuzuki. "You had the perfect chance! Why didn't you do it?"

Tsuzuki blinked, once, twice, before he smiled light. "I didn't want to intrude on him and sneak a picture. It seems rude. Besides, I'm sure he posted some photos on Instagram for you to look at."

"It's not the same." Saya fiddled with her phone and leaned against Tsuzuki. "It means we have physical proof that he was here. Since he usually comes in the afternoons, can you take one for us? _Please?_ "

Tatsumi strolled in, his stern game face on. Pausing near the door, he informed them. "I suggest taking _no_ pictures of Kurosaki-kun. I'm not going to deal with a barrage of fans coming in and making a mess of the place. His coach, Watari-san, assured me of keeping any logos of this place out of the photos." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm certain _my staff_ will keep Kurosaki-kun's privacy."

Tsuzuki put his hands up, assuring him before he went into a long rant. "I didn't take _any_ pictures. Trust me, I'm not going to give out the guy's location."

Tatsumi used his pointer and middle finger to push up his glasses. "You have sense. Good." He turned to Yuma and Saya. "You two should be manning the front area. It's almost time for the start of your shift."

Yuma and Saya giggled nervously before ushering out of the room.

Tsuzuki sighed. "I already knew they would bombard me when I came in. You'd think they would try to go up to him themselves. He seems nice on Instagram. Any guy who uses emojis on his photos tend to be more approachable."

Tatsumi glanced back at Tsuzuki before he went out the door. "Don't encourage them. I don't need complaints about their overzealous attempts at gaining Kurosaki-kun's attention."

"You got it boss." Tsuzuki saluted Tatsumi, once Tatsumi left, he slumped against the wall. Sipping his juice while ticking off time until the start of his shift.

* * *

Unscrewing his water bottle, Hisoka gulped down half of the contents. Satisfaction surged through his body from quenching his thirst, chilling him from the pumping adrenaline from his practice. Setting the water bottle onto the bench, he changed out of his clothing. He cringed at having to leave the rink in his previous clothing. He settled on bathing the second he returned home.

Taking out his phone, he saw an old text message from Watari. A late notice of him coming in to practice before the hour ended. He remembered Watari's appointment with his costume designer for the season. They discussed the costumes while he had the final say in picking the outfit. He learned his lesson in letting Watari dress him up. His junior circuit gave him flashbacks of the cringe worthy feminine outfits.

Putting his gloves back onto his hands, he heard a disturbance from beyond the lockers. Assuming another person came in to clean the interior, he hurried up in picking up his items. The man who called him off the rink every so often didn't seem annoyed, but this new employee might have another attitude.

"Gotcha!" Watari made his presence known, holding his cellphone in his hand while leaning against the locker.

"Watari-san," Hisoka narrowed his eyes, "Tell me that you did not post a video or photo of me changing on Instagram."

Watari pushed his sunglasses up, winking at him. "Bon, I would _never_ do such a thing."

Hisoka deadpanned. "You exposed my world's attire last year when I was trying it on."

"I took it _after_ you _finished_ putting it on. You showed no skin at all! " Watari pointed out, he leaned against the lockers, showing Hisoka his newest shot. "You were just closing the locker you used. Although..." He checked the bench with a cringe. "The positioning of the water bottle and the towels ruined the image."

Hisoka drawled. "My apologies. I never knew I had to be ready for a photo op at any time for your constant snippets of my life. Honestly, no one needs to know what I'm doing all the time." He hauled the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

Watari deleted the photo, giving up on the newest post. "Bon, you have to give something back to your fans. Back when I was in the circuit, we didn't have social media to bridge this gap. Besides, I remember having your fans spamming my account asking about you. Best to give them two uploads a week at the minimum. Besides, I'm the one balancing your account and my own."

"I didn't ask you to do that for me." Hisoka lifted up his water bottle and towels.

"You wouldn't have started your account in the first place." Watari went through his business email and checked through the new mail. "Don't worry, no one will know you're here. I disabled my location on my phone whenever I post any new photos."

"There's bound to be a leak from one of the employees if you're not the one doing it."

Watari placed a hand on his chest. "Bon, you wound me. All I did was talk with their head manager, stern, but nice guy by the way. He's going to tell his employees not to spread around the fact that you're using this rink."

Hisoka asked. "Are you sure they won't give out my location?"

"Positive." Watari pocketed his phone. "Now, we're going to get some dinner, I'm starving."

Hisoka went on ahead toward the exit of the locker room. " _After_ my bath, Watari-san, I feel gross from all this sweat."

"You take forever in the bath, Bon!"

* * *

Two female voices exclaimed from the stands of the rink. "Kurosaki-san!"

Hisoka skid to a stop, freezing at the sound of unfamiliar people. The waves of excitement and bubbly tingles came from these two women. Peeking over his shoulder, he saw two familiar faces, both employed at the rink. These ladies manned the front desk, handing out the right skates to customers. Whenever they saw him, they giggled and winked at his direction.

In the last month, the clashing schedules brought their interactions down to a minimum. He didn't dislike his fans, in fact, many of them respected his space and approached him in appropriate times. In the rare occasion where one screams at him from across the room, Watari intercepted them before they overwhelmed him. This time, Watari left him unprotected for such an event.

Pushing down his sensitivity, he skated toward the exit, which both of them blocked. Double checking their name tags, the short haired one, Yuma, the long haired one, Saya. He smiled gentle, somewhat warm. The girls ate it up from the sound of their squeals.

Yuma jumped the gun and showed her phone. "Can we get a picture with you? We wanted to ask you a while ago, but we never got a chance."

Saya placed her hand on her cheek and sighed. "Our schedules clashed with your training schedule so we thought this was a perfect time. Unless, you're busy with training, if so, we totally understand."

Hisoka sweat beneath his training clothes. Most fans he encountered tried getting a photograph where their bodies touched, breaching his personal space. One photo didn't hurt. He saw the chance of using the barrier of the rink to his advantage.

He answered. "Sure, but I can't leave the rink."

They simultaneously exclaimed. "No problem!"

Standing behind them, he watched Saya and Yuma position themselves at the exit. Saya clutched a selfie stick in one hand as they put up their peace signs. From the phone screen, he noticed them grinning from ear to ear. To give them something decent, he quirked his lips up and tilted his head to the side.

"Cheese!" Yuma exclaimed.

Once the photo snapped the image, Saya and Yuma tittered over the result. "Thank you!"

Before they thought of leaving the area, Saya assured Hisoka, "Oh yeah, we didn't have location on, so...is it...okay for us to post it online?"

Yuma clasped her hands in front of her and pleaded. "Pretty please!"

Hisoka gulped, he put his hands up, trying to place distance between them. From the calculating glint in their eyes, he wanted to stay away before they got any closer to him. "F—Fine."

"Yay! We'll link your account!" Yuma squealed, she hooked her arm around Saya's shoulders, running off to get back to work.

Hisoka rubbed his temples, resuming his practice. He might return to meditation for help in stopping these strong thoughts from entering his mind. He lost practice due to the off season and focusing on polishing his skating routines.

* * *

Tsuzuki walked through the threshold of the apartment with a bag of drink in one hand, ingredients for dinner in the other. He tacked the steps for the recipe he thought on making for dinner on the fridge. He wanted to surprise his sister before she returned home from work. A good home cooked meal to lessen the stress of the day away from her.

Kicking off his shoes, he jumped over the step and greeted to what he assumed was an empty apartment. "I'm back!"

Ruka walked into the hallway, holding a book in one hand, and tongs in the other. "You're back earlier than expected. I haven't even finished our dinner yet. Did Tatsumi-san let you out?"

Tsuzuki smiled light, placing all his charm into it. "I was hoping...to make dinner?"

Ruka deadpanned. "Asato, I love you, but I don't want to have to order take out."

"Ruka!"

"Anyway, I saw the tempura recipe in the fridge, so, I cooked that and some side dishes. I used chicken instead of shrimp for today." Ruka motioned into the area which contained their dining table. "You might as well settle down and wait. Better yet, freshen up, Asato."

Resigning in Ruka thwarting his plans, he ventured on inside. "Yes, Ruka."

"Please leave your ingredients in the dining room table too." Ruka began walking back into the kitchen. Tsuzuki left the bag on the table resuming his journey back to his room. "Anything new happen at work? Other than the new celebrity you are all housing for the season?"

Tsuzuki exclaimed. "Nothing much!" He went inside of his room and changed into his usual comfortable set of sweat pants. He hurried back when he smelled the delicious food. His stomach grumbled loud from the amazing smells. "Should I set the table?"

"Please."

Tsuzuki went to work as he placed their dinnerware in their right places. Once he set everything down, he went to his usual spot and sat down. Pouring himself a cup of water from the jug on the table, he gulped half of it down. He drooled at the thought of the dishes his sister prepared for their dinner. When she came out, he got up from his seat, helping her bring out the side dishes.

Smiling at her feigned indignation, he went back and forth from the kitchen. Putting down the pickled veggies and other small nibbles they ate with their dinner. This left Ruka to sit down at her seat at the table, waiting for him to return with the tempura.

Despite their work filled lives, they still attempted to have home cooked meals and talk about their day.

Tsuzuki slumped onto his seat, rubbing his hands as he ate up the meal with his eyes. They gave their blessing and he dug into his meal. He relished in the flavors Ruka wove throughout the food. Giving noises of appreciation, he thanked everything that she cooked before he arrived. Although, he wanted a knack at seeing his own personal improvement, he loved her cooking even more.

Ruka swallowed her bite, chuckling as she set down her bowl. "My, my, you're ravenous today."

Tsuzuki laughed. "I ended up hungrier than expected."

"Oh? Was the rink busy today?"

"Not really. We went at a normal pace." Tsuzuki ate a pickled radish and sipped his water. "I think the fact were so tight-lipped is helping us keep Hisoka Kurosaki's fans from coming in. Saya and Yuma are keeping silent! That's big considering they love posting everything online."

"Maybe they enjoy having to see Kurosaki-san's company for themselves." Ruka gulped down more of her drink. "I'm surprised you have all lasted this long without an out pour of people. There are plenty of ice skating fanatics who would die to have a photo taken with their favorite skater. He's turned into Japan's darling."

Tsuzuki swallowed his bite of tempura. "Well, Tatsumi told us not to take pictures of him or even reveal the fact he's there. Kurosaki's coach talked to him personally and asked this favor. Besides, I'm not about to sneak a picture of the guy without asking."

"Good. We don't want to seem like vultures to the poor boy." Ruka set her chopsticks down. "Before you think of having another serving, I found another pie behind the large iced tea you keep in the fridge."

"Sweet!"

* * *

Watari clapped his hands, grinning from ear to ear. As he saw Hisoka land a triple loop without stumbling, he exclaimed in delight. "Bon! You were splendid on the ice! The extra hours paying off so well. You don't even need me here to watch over you."

Hisoka skid to a stop, cheeks red, he breathed in air into his lungs. "I'm not over rotating? Sometimes, I can't tell when I'm in the air."

"You did that last year, but you've improved by heaps and bounds!" Watari leaned against the railing. "After we're done, we will have some de-stressing time and meditate in the locker room. Why haven't you told me you were overloading? Bon, you fell constantly last year because you didn't keep up your meditation routines."

Hisoka rubbed his palms. "The lack of private space at home is keeping me from attempting it. It doesn't help that Nagare and Uncle Iwao fight constantly. It's not an excuse, but there's no place around here either."

Watari puffed out his chest. "Since I booked the last hours of the day, I'm sure I can get a rope put around the locker room. I think I can convince the head manager to settle an area for us to use. For today, we'll use the locker room and bear with the cold tiles touching our legs."

Hisoka pointed out. "We can always lay down any old sweater and sit on it. We don't have to sit directly on the floor."

"Right..." Watari laughed out loud. "You have to admit, the cold will help keep your mind sharp."

Hisoka carded his bangs with his fingers and told him. "Well, I'll resume around the ice. Yell if I do something wrong."

"For sure," Watari's phone chimed the most impending doom ring tone, he declared. "It's Nagare."

Hisoka paused before moving forward.

"Yutaka Watari speaking!" Watari drummed his fingers on his knee, forcing himself to add cheer into his voice. "Yes. Kurosaki-san is training right now as we speak. No time has been wasted. We're going through another possible performance sequence."

Hisoka's stomach plunged. Hearing Watari address him through his last name irked him. _A lot._ Even more than he first thought. In his teenage years, he hated the term of endearment, but he grew used to Watari's spin on calling him _Bon_. No one other than his coach called him by this name.

"There's no problem. We still have a bracket of time until we're sure to vacate the rink, I'll meet you at the entrance. Goodbye." Watari's strained smile fell into a frown as he ended the call. " _Ugh_ , he's coming here in person. We're going to have to go into the old formation of practice."

Hisoka's mood dropped even more, body tensing, he demanded. " _Why?_ I haven't started the season yet. He has no reason to check up on me."

Watari shrugged his shoulders. "He didn't give me a reason. You know how he holds in these details until he arrives." Trying to soothe the situation, he attempted a semblance of a smile. "Don't take what I say to heart, Bon. You know I don't mean the harsh words coming out of my mouth. Nagare wouldn't let me coach you otherwise."

Hisoka relaxed at Watari's sincerity. "As you wish, Watari-san." He began the old strenuous practice that Nagare expected him to do.

Watari's considerate words didn't help qualm his disappointment.

* * *

During one of Tsuzuki's daydreaming moments, Hisoka managed to sneak up on him. A discreet cough caused him to jump, thinking Tatsumi caught him slacking off again. Snapping his head to the side, a prepared speech on the tip of his tongue, he stopped himself when he saw Hisoka's somewhat amused expression. Letting out a sigh of relief, Tsuzuki slouched, thankful that Tatsumi remained entertained in the back.

Hisoka tilted his head to the side, his skate guards clinked as he re-positioned his feet. "Do you always let others overstay their welcome? Or am I just the exception?"

Tsuzuki grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "You seem so into your practice, I didn't want to break your concentration. You did pay top dollar to stick around in an empty rink." He peeked down at his watch, his eyebrows raised in astonishment. "Oh, you finished on time."

Hisoka bent his leg and adjusted his skate guard. "I have a meeting I can't miss." He controlled his harshness at the thought of his father. "It's a mandatory meeting. Otherwise, you would be yelling me off the ice."

Tsuzuki stood up from the bench. "I don't mind. You're a lot easier than some of the stubborn ones we sometimes get. They tend to stick on the ice, thinking none of us will go after them."

Hisoka nodded his head. "I don't enjoy making trouble for others."

"Not at all." Tsuzuki assured him. "We know you need all the practice you can get. Besides, you can always come before the usual time starts in the morning. Tatsumi always comes two hours early to check up on everything. He's real meticulous that way. Have a chat with your coach and set it up with Tatsumi. I'm sure there won't be a problem."

Hisoka fiddled with the ends of his gloves. "I see. Excuse me, but I don't know your name."

"Oops, I tend to run my mouth that I forget sometimes." Tsuzuki put out his hand. "Asato Tsuzuki, pleased to meet you."

Hisoka slipped his hand into Tsuzuki's bigger one, giving him a light squeeze. "Hisoka Kurosaki." He removed his hand quick, the gloves managed to block just enough for him not to see into Tsuzuki's mind. "I should get going. Thank you for your consideration."

Tsuzuki watched him as he went toward the locker room. "Yeah...no problem."

* * *

Tatsumi rubbed the bridge of his nose. After observing Tsuzuki's sudden chipper disposition, he figured out the cause of his change: Hisoka Kurosaki. From the grapevine, Hisoka spoke to Tsuzuki during the end of one of his practice and they grew acquainted. Hence, Tsuzuki resumed his old tendency to sneak around whenever someone he knew came into the rink. Beforehand, Ruka used to come around to leave Tsuzuki's lunch.

Catching him on his way out of the break room, he grabbed the back of Tsuzuki's collar, hindering him from taking another step. "And where do you think you are going?" Tsuzuki's innocent eyes didn't fool Tatsumi one bit. "You're trying to sneak away to see Kurosaki-kun, aren't you?"

Tsuzuki's visible deflation provided all Tatsumi needed to know. "Yes...was I that obvious?"

"You're horrible at sneaking around." Tatsumi let go of Tsuzuki. "If you're going to start this again, finish your work first."

"You're not going to stop me?"

Tatsumi informed him. "No. Don't make me regret my decision. If I hear one complaint from Kurosaki-kun, you're stopping communication immediately. I'll begin closing down the rink myself. Understood?"

Tsuzuki beamed. "Yes!"

* * *

Tsuzuki spread out the days in between visiting Hisoka during practice or in the end. He didn't want to overwhelm Hisoka through hanging out with him too often. From the first curt conversation, he enjoyed spending time with him. He saw a different side to the image presented online. Hisoka informed him that Watari handled his accounts, he just approved of the posts before Watari pressed the last option. This broke the first illusion of the preconceived notions he held of him.

Hisoka kept on surprising him throughout these talks. He relegated his experiences in ice skating and his love of the sport. A love which transcended beyond kendo and archery, Hisoka's old interests. He was enraptured at the sight of a figure skating performance during a trip outside of town.

Tsuzuki told his own life story. Speaking about his sister, his life before the rink, keeping the dialogue going. They went through different small topics, some of which, Hisoka didn't give full on explanations. Sometimes, he gave curt answers, leaving the topic to the side before moving onto another one.

In these instances, Tsuzuki wanted to insist, but he stopped himself before the question slipped out. At times, Hisoka answered without much prompting which solved Tsuzuki's dilemma. It was almost as if Hisoka knew his nagging insistence in trying to find out more about him.

Hisoka commented during one of his extended breaks off the ice. "I despise my moniker."

Tsuzuki snorted, earning himself a glare. " _Samurai Doll_ annoys you that much? I find it kind of cute."

"Don't laugh. It's ridiculous." Hisoka stretched out his legs. "It doesn't help that I haven't grown out of my baby face. I'm twenty years old. Looking younger than my age isn't something to be proud of." He stared at Tsuzuki's mature features with slight envy. "I'm supposed to be transitioning into an adult body. Watari-san makes me appear _petite_ in comparison."

Tsuzuki teased him, spinning a tune into his voice. "Your numerous fans sure love looking at your face. I checked your account a while ago. They always comment on your smooth skin and delicate features."

Hisoka rolled his eyes, he stood up and focused on his arms. "That's not something a man wants to hear."

Tsuzuki hummed. "Does it help to know that the technical fans of skating enjoy watching your routines? Yuma and Saya love retelling your performances. Sure, they think you're pretty, but they do know their fare share of ice skating."

"Somewhat." Hisoka rolled his shoulders. "I'd rather have my skating shine outside of my features."

"It'll pass." Tsuzuki reached his hand and pulled down Hisoka's shirt. Hisoka flinched, moving away from him. "Shit. Sorry I thought you wouldn't want your shirt to show your skin."

Hisoka smoothed down his shirt, taking a few steps away from him. "Just...alert me when you try doing something like that again. Better yet, tell me before doing it yourself."

Tsuzuki put his hands underneath his legs. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Well, now you know." Hisoka rubbed his temples, replaying Tsuzuki's wonderment at his pale skin. "I have to go. I'll see you later." He rushed out, trying to block Tsuzuki's hurt feelings.

* * *

Tatsumi never expected to befriend Hisoka Kurosaki's coach, Yutaka Watari. The man greeted every single one of his staff members and the seasonal as well. Everyone had nothing bad to say about him. It took a big of grunt work for the exuberant man to soften him up a bit, but he found conversations with him more interesting than he expected. He remembered Watari from his old skating days before he transitioned into coaching. Other skaters at the time grasped the limelight due to external circumstances which had nothing to do with skating. Watari stood out with his long flowing hair and dangerous jumps which earned him notoriety.

Watari expressed pure love and affection for his pupil. Far beyond a coach and skater relationship, closer to a sibling one perhaps. Their clashing personalities molded into a suitable alignment where they fit together. He walked into one of their practices, Watari encouraged Hisoka through sharp, but tender shouts of corrections. Watching them both skate to different routines, he saw the gleam in Hisoka's eyes.

One early morning, Watari caught up with him during his morning duties. Watari invited him for a coffee in the nearby cafe. Agreeing to his invite, he grabbed a radio and cellphone, and tagged along with him. Once they entered, Watari went to order for him and he secured a table. As he sat down, he caught the eye of one of his old employees, Wakaba, manning the barista bar. She smiled big, waving at him, while making drinks.

Tatsumi stood up and went toward her. They had a small conversation where they caught up. He held back a groan at being informed that she knew about Hisoka Kurosaki's presence at the rink because of Yuma and Saya. The duo showed her a picture of them with the skater. Although, they kept their promise in concealing where they worked and wrote they saw him at some random rink in a different area.

When Watari approached them, he introduced him to Wakaba. They clicked in an instant and their own conversation started. Excusing himself, he went to his seat, waiting for Watari to return with drinks in hand. Moments later, Watari sat across from him, sliding his tea toward him. He dumped packets of sugar on the table and little portions of creamer.

Watari opened with the most grave information.

"Try not to get in Nagare Kurosaki's way." Watari added another creamer to his coffee and stirred. "I saw how much the man pushed Bon to the brink of exhaustion. They showed no mercy or compassion. Nagare and the old coach, I mean. I came in because the old coach suffered a broken leg and couldn't continue on the season. My medals and winning routines have kept me as Bon's coach so far."

Tatsumi slurped down some of his tea. "I'm assuming that he doesn't know of his child's online media presence or your less than orthodox way in training him."

Watari winked at Tatsumi before letting out a deep sigh. "It's lucky that he's so stubborn in keeping electronics from his home. He doesn't like the internet anyway, thinks the forums and articles paint a bad picture of his son. In turn, it brings a slight mar in the family image. It's not like he comes to his competitions anyway."

Tatsumi scoffed. "If anything, Kurosaki-san has brought their family out of obscurity." Watari lifted his brows up, waiting for him to continue. "I did some research in my spare time. Back in the 1900's, the last head of the clan squandered a significant portion of their money through gambling. The so-called noble lineage is simply a name at this point."

Watari whistled. "Ah, no wonder Nagare is so intent in making Bon work this hard. He's so prideful about his family name, yammered about it when he first met me. The same could be said about the older brother. I met him once, _never again_. The guy is such a wretch." He downed his coffee. "Still, I don't want you guys to get slammed into problems because of him. Take my warning into consideration."

Tatsumi fixed his glasses as he smirked. "Watari-san, I have friends in different branches of careers. I'm owed _multiple favors_. He doesn't scare me."

* * *

Watari hooked an arm around Tsuzuki's shoulders. "Tsuzuki! How are you doing?"

"Watari-san!" Tsuzuki patted Watari's back, he checked around the area, eager to see his friend. "Is Hisoka here?"

"Not yet!" Tsuzuki pouted. "He went to collect some new gloves which warm up his hands better. The last ones started to get holes after roughing them up a bit during practice. He doesn't like having rips in his gloves."

"Oh okay." Tsuzuki turned to face Watari, noting his hair pulled all the way up into a bun. "I'm surprised you can manage to keep your hair long."

"What do you mean?"

"Most men end up cutting their hair after a while."

Watari huffed, throwing his side bangs over his shoulder. "I'm not cutting my hair to uphold normal standards. Besides, my hair was my signature back then and I still rock it! Bon would have a heart attack if I arrive without my locks. I wore a hat once and shoved my hair inside to see what he would think. He seemed disturbed when he saw me without my usual hairstyle."

Tsuzuki put his hands up, trying to calm the irate coach down before he went into a rant. "I get it, Watari-san. I only wanted to comment since it takes work to keep long hair looking nice. Before you ask, my older sister has long hair and uses different products to keep it looking nice."

"Don't try to hide using conditioner for your hair. Your hair is as soft as silk." Watari ruffled his hair and removed his arm away from him. "Oh yeah, before I forget, do you have an Instagram account."

"No...I don't really use online accounts for anything. I do have an account for when I order stuff online."

"Well that won't do, you have to get one!" Watari ushered him to the side. "Take out your phone and sign up. You can sign up through the internet before downloading the app."

Tsuzuki nodded his head and began typing in his information. Once he got to the username, he put his last name and one place he enjoyed eating. Cinnamon Rolls! _CinnabonTsuzuki_.

"My Instagram name is _Coach. Y. Watari_ and Bon's is _Kurosaki_Hisoka_." Watari peeked over Tsuzuki's shoulder, seeing his icon picture pop up on the screen. "That's me! The app is so easy Tsuzuki, you'll get the hang of it real quick. You can see other types of images through the search bar."

"Anything?"

"Yup!"

Tsuzuki typed in his favorite sweets and his screen became bombarded with different varieties. "This is awesome! I never thought I'd see such delicious desserts in one sitting. I might have Ruka make some of these new ones."

Watari checked his phone and followed Tsuzuki's account, _CinnabonTsuzuki_. "Start posting pictures, I can link you the cute ones I take of Bon."

Tsuzuki lifted his head up, his face reddened. "You don't need to do that Watari-san."

"Oh trust me, I'm a master at getting some cute as hell pictures of Bon." Watari wagged his finger. "I need someone else to send these pictures to. They don't make Bon's account because they look out of place. Besides, I'm sure _you'd love_ to keep looking at Bon."

Tsuzuki shook his head, his attempt at denial went to deaf ears. "What do you mean?"

"You like Bon don't you?" Watari wiggled his eyebrows. Before Tsuzuki answered, Watari's phone rang. "Well, damn, I have to take this call. Be right back!" Watari hurried out of the rink area, giving himself privacy from wandering ears.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Tsuzuki sat down onto a random bench. Laying a hand on his chest, he thanked everything that he was spared an interrogation. He distracted himself through looking through Instagram. Tsuzuki slid his finger over his screen, eyes crinkling at the sight of endless pastries. "Ooohh...look at all the pies."

Hisoka entered through the rink and saw Tsuzuki's slouched over form. "Tsuzuki about the other day—" Hisoka noted his sudden lack of attention, a glance at Tsuzuki's phone gave him an answer. "He sucked you into Instagram, didn't he?"

Tsuzuki lifted his head up, showing his cute icon photo. "I changed it into a cinnamon roll! I have to match my name. Oh! And I follow you and Watari-san. I'll get Yuma and Saya's accounts when they come in tomorrow in the morning."

Hisoka sat down beside Tsuzuki. "I'm surprised Watari-san had not gotten you hooked weeks ago." He placed his hands on his lap and added in. "I want to explain myself."

"Huh?"

"The way I reacted from you pulling down my shirt. You're open to odd explanations, correct?"

Tsuzuki transitioned between shrugging his shoulders and nodding. "Eh, either way, I've heard of different things throughout my life. I mean...you weren't hurt...or something, right? I have an old friend who was abused during her childhood and she reacts the same way you do.."

"No."

"Is it...a phobia? Some people have a phobia against people touching them."

"Not even close."

"Well damn...um...is it supernatural or something?" Hisoka's incredulous stare made him grin in victory. "I got it! So, what is it exactly?"

"I'm an empath."

Tsuzuki's jaw dropped. "Wow..." Hisoka waited in nervousness for his delayed reaction until Tsuzuki added in. "What's an empath?"

Hisoka face palmed, he peeked at Tsuzuki through his gloves hands. "I have a sensitivity to people's emotions. I can't control it. Watari-san has me on a plan to meditate which helps soothe the brunt of the waves. He's the first person to take my condition seriously and plans around it."

Tsuzuki said. "So, that's why you use the gloves all the time. I never would have guessed."

Hisoka removed his hand from his face. "You believe me?"

"Of course! There are endless possibilities in the world. Anything can happen in this big world of ours. I'm honored that you trusted in me." Tsuzuki moved forward to ruffle Hisoka's hair, but he swooped it behind his head to hide his mishap.

Hisoka turned his attention onto the ice rink. "Don't tell anyone else about my secret. I'm placing my trust in you."

"I won't!" Tsuzuki assured him.

* * *

With the knowledge of Tsuzuki's skating ability, Hisoka found himself asking Tsuzuki to accompany him on the ice. He thought about bribing Tsuzuki with pastries or something he wanted, but Tsuzuki agreed once he finished his initial question. He concealed his enthusiasm at having another person skate alongside him to a certain extent. Although, Tsuzuki's knowing grin aggravated him as he picked up certain adjectives which described him.

Tsuzuki showed up with a pair of decent looking skates. The usual standard white color with multiple scuff marks around the sides. Hisoka didn't mind looking at them. His own pairs of training skates went throughout the ringer after each season. As they went through warm ups, well, he showed Tsuzuki his warm ups, Tsuzuki went through them without a problem.

When they finished, he went through each step on how to enter a toe loop. Tsuzuki copied him, but landed a bit rougher due to his tall stature. Excited, Hisoka presented more jumps, eager to become somewhat of a teacher to his friend. Watari came later on in the afternoon, which gave them the privacy he wanted. He imagined his eccentric coach taking video and photos, posting them online with exclamations. Declaring his little Bon showing promise as a teacher.

The early morning saved him this headache.

"Why didn't you enter professionally?" Hisoka asked, impressed at the height of Tsuzuki's jumps. Tsuzuki had the makings of a decent skater, no, an excellent one. "You have natural talent."

Tsuzuki stopped right beside Hisoka, stretching his arms above his head. "My family didn't have the expenses to pay for the lessons. I still managed to learn through quick lessons from an old classmate, all the way to the point where I'm comfortable skating without much thought."

"He wasn't a professional skater I take it."

"Nope."

"It shows." Hisoka tutted, tapping his finger on his chin. "There are slight mistakes which I made before my junior circuit. Your fearlessness prompted you to skate without tension. Do you not fear falling onto the ice?"

Tsuzuki twirled on the spot. "Nope. I fell way too many times where I expected the impact. Nowadays, I just tend to do the basic type of jumps and spins. I'm not flexible at all."

Hisoka snorted. "Start stretching and you'd be surprised. There are taller skaters than me who can lift their leg above their head."

Tsuzuki went into a stop, cringing at the very thought. "How can you manage to do such a thing?"

"Practice."

"Right," Tsuzuki skated closer to Hisoka and managed to bump into him. Gripping onto Hisoka's arms, he kept him on his feet before he fell onto the ice. "Sorry!"

"You know, I'm not clumsy enough to fall. I am a well known skater known for grace on the ice." Hisoka clung onto Tsuzuki's arms, keeping himself up.

Tsuzuki blushed, rambling on. "Sorry for tripping you. Tatsumi would have my hide if someone broke their leg while I was here."

Hisoka released his hold on Tsuzuki, thankful for his gloves blocking the reaction away from him. "We were not paying attention while speaking." He looked up at Tsuzuki and motioned to the benches. "Break time."

* * *

Changing into his usual training outfit, Hisoka went into his pre-warm ups, trying to lessen the strain on his muscles. He slept on the wrong side of the bed, making his neck ache from the tension. Watari might end up giving him an ice pack or a massage using his gloves. He might even have him do it without them just to have some skin contact. Watari's hands were magical.

Closing the door, he applied the lock and carried the key in his pocket. He'd hand it over to Watari before he got into the ice. Tsuzuki might be able to hold onto it when he set foot on the ice. He expected Tsuzuki to come at the end of his morning shift to greet him.

His stomach fluttered at the thought of Tsuzuki making an appearance. Half the time, Tsuzuki cheered alongside Watari. Both of them grinning from ear to ear when he landed a jump sequence. He cared for Watari's opinion, but Tsuzuki made a different impact to him.

A familiar voice brought revulsion to his soul. "Hisoka."

"Father." Hisoka's jaw clenched for a brief moment. "How may I help you?" He tried scouting Watari, Nagare didn't dare say anything too derogatory when Watari stayed in the background. He gripped the end of his shirt when a wave of arrogance cut through him.

Nagare commented. "Watari-san is not here yet?"

Hisoka made eye contact with Nagare. "He came before me. I'm certain he's expecting me on the ice."

"You took your sweet time." Nagare sniffed at the tight clothing Hisoka wore. The sport did nothing more than expose the figure of the person skating on the ice. Showing off in an unseemly manner.

Hisoka collected his water bottle and a towel to dry off his sweat. "I ask again, how may I help you?"

"You have one more year until you submit to the Kurosaki family." Nagare declared. "I allowed you to continue this entertainment farce for the gold medals. You failed the last few season by winning silver! You haven't won gold _in years_."

Hisoka pulled on the end of his gloves hard, pinching the skin in between his fingers. "You know jack shit about ice skating. I've secured a good standing as one of Japan's top contenders. Last season I breached into the Grand Prix. You wouldn't have noticed because of the fact that you got into that long standing feud with Uncle Iwao."

Nagare gripped Hisoka's arm, digging his fingers into the cloth. "Know your _place_ , child. I have every right to expect results. You've wasted years on this path, more than enough time to compensate your clan."

Hisoka gritted his teeth, the pouring of emotions made his head spin. "Are you finished? I have to get going to practice before Watari-san gets anxious." Snatching his arm back, he strolled away from Nagare, keeping his pained look away from view.

At the end of Hisoka's sentence, Tatsumi backed away from the locker room. Hiding behind a wall, he caught Hisoka hurrying toward the rink. Waiting for a moment, he caught the image of Nagare Kurosaki, Hisoka favored his features.

Remembering Tsuzuki's tendency to visit Hisoka, he hurried over the break room.

* * *

Tsuzuki almost huffed in annoyance. Tatsumi always managed to sniff out whenever he tried sneaking away. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay. Why can't I see Hisoka this time? I finished all my work stuff and this is my break time. I have Saya covering the front end for me."

Tatsumi gripped the back of Tsuzuki's shirt even harder. He thought on a way to relay the information without seeming like an eavesdropper. Family matters remained behind closed doors. He had no reason to relay such information and air out their problems. Although, the knowledge of Nagare Kurosaki's tendencies made him keep an extra eye out for his employees. He didn't need the guy taking out his frustration on his people.

Nonetheless, he felt horrible for Hisoka Kurosaki. Throughout their interactions, Hisoka showed no disrespect to him or any of his staff. He tolerated Yuma and Saya's antics and explained different aspects to ice skating whenever anyone asked. He became a friend to all of them and they wanted nothing more than to give him their support.

He explained. "I overheard him arguing with his father in the locker room. Hisoka ran out toward the rink and I think this is the worst time to meet up with him. His father is here. The man doesn't tolerate foolishness." He placated Tsuzuki's frown. "You're not foolish, but that man isn't understanding. He won't want people looking at Kurosaki-kun while he's training."

Tsuzuki fought the urge to go to Hisoka's side, sighing, he relented. "Okay. I'll stay in here and then go back to work. Please, tell Hisoka that I can't make it this time."

"He'll understand." Tatsumi told him. "I'll have a talk with Watari-san and Kurosaki-kun. You can have a bit of an extended break." Tsuzuki's eyes widened. "Five minutes."

Tsuzuki snorted, shaking his head with a grin. "Wow, that's _so long_ , Tatsumi."

"Don't make me take it back."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Hisoka struggled to keep up with Tsuzuki's long strides as they walked through the crowds. Pulling up his scarf, he managed to cover his neck before the cold hit him the wrong way. "Tsuzuki! Wait for me!"

"You'll love this, I promise." Tsuzuki told him as he grabbed onto his arm without thinking. "You have to have something sweet for your cheat day. C'mon Hisoka, a small bar of chocolate won't satisfy any craving. My friend Wakaba works for a cafe that makes amazing pastries. There are some sweets that have low sugar so you won't have to feel guilty. She used to work for the rink actually." Locating the cafe, he urged Hisoka to move faster.

Hisoka kept up with him, but had to jog in order to do so. "You're almost ripping my arm out of my socket!"

Tsuzuki slowed down, giving Hisoka a sheepish smile. "Oops."

Hisoka sighed, gripping the back of Tsuzuki's trench coat. "No matter, I'm sure this little run has made me burn off the calories from my lunch. A pastry won't hurt me too much. Watari is always trying to get me to have something other than my so-called boring snacks. Where is this place exactly?"

"Right up ahead." Tsuzuki pointed out the cafe in the distance. "That one!"

Opening the door, the bell on top of the door chimed. The cashier and the barista on bar greeted the both of them.

"Wakaba-chan!" Tsuzuki floated through the cafe. "I'm here! I brought a new person to taste these delicious pastries."

Hisoka found the girl behind the counter, her hair pulled back into a messy bun, strands of curls fell around the shape of her face. Her mismatched eyes stood out and welcomed them in with warmness.

"Tsuzuki!" Tsuzuki went to the side, giving her hug over the counter. "I'm so glad you're here. Tatsumi-san came around the other day. He introduced me to Kurosaki-san's coach, he's such a delight." She looked over at Hisoka. "It's great to finally meet you in person. Watari-san told me plenty of stories about you when he came here the other day."

Hisoka got closer to them, "Nothing too bad I hope. Watari-san tends to run his mouth if you don't stop him."

Wakaba chuckled. "Well...he spoke about your old costumes from your junior circuit. He showed me some photos on his phone."

Hisoka groaned. "Not _those._ "

Tsuzuki asked. "What do they look like?"

Hisoka rubbed his temples, finding no use in hiding them. Tsuzuki might find them with a simple google search. "Let's just say that I tried erasing all evidence of my old embarrassing costumes. The internet is forever after all."

Wakaba asked them. "Right, what would you two like? There's still a nice display of pastries, we had a large rush this morning."

Hisoka ordered a simple tea with a lemon wedge, then picked a strawberry cake before Tsuzuki tried suggesting a different one. Tsuzuki got hot chocolate and a few plates of pastries to curve off his appetite. After arguing on who paid for the tab, Tsuzuki slipped his money before Hisoka noticed. Teasing Hisoka on paying for their first date, this quieted Hisoka from saying anything else.

Wakaba prepared everything for them and handed their order on the other side. Tsuzuki collected everything on one tray and followed Hisoka toward their table. Settling down, Hisoka took his first bite of his pastry, he perked up, delighted at the flavor.

He ignored the smug look on Tsuzuki's face. "You were right this one time."

"You should have never doubted my opinion on pastries."

"I picked this one though."

"It still stands." Tsuzuki sipped his hot chocolate and took a bite of one of his pastries. "I picked the cafe."

* * *

Sitting in another Kurosaki family meeting, Watari scooted closer to Hisoka's side. Using the perspective to his advantage, he hovered his hand close to Hisoka to provide silent encouragement. On the other side of the table, Nagare sat at the head seat. His wife, Rui, sat beside him, quiet and demure. Her judgmental eyes bore into him, his long hair always stroke a sliver of annoyance in her.

Somehow, he got roped into sitting in one of these lecture style meetings. They assumed Nagare and Rui left to a party and wouldn't return to catch Hisoka changing his clothes before he left. Bumping into them on their way out, Nagare lead them back inside, wanting answers on Hisoka's development. It started off sort of well, Watari took up most of the conversation. Making sure to keep Nagare from addressing Hisoka too often.

From the dark looks father and son shared, it didn't work too well. They hated sitting the same room with one another. Watari saw the end of his topics in sight. Rui ignored the tension in favor of sipping her wine glass. Staring at her nails while keeping silent.

The moment Nagare began to speak, everything went to Hell.

Hisoka demanded, slamming his hand onto the table. "If I'm such a disappointment, then drop all communication with me. Cut me off of everything that pertains your precious family and leave me alone."

Nagare narrowed his eyes, uncrossing his arms, he stood up from his seat. "You dare disrespect your father? Your head of house?"

Hisoka glared at him. "You might be the head of a dying clan, but you're no father of mine."

Almost knocking her wine glass onto the tablecloth, Rui gasped. "Stop it child!"

"I'm not a child" Hisoka seethed. "In case you have forgotten, my name is Hisoka. Although, I guess you might be hesitant to use it since it belonged to my _half sister_."

Watari sat stumped on his seat. From the scandalous look on Nagare and Rui's faces, Hisoka hit the mark with his revelation. It seemed they tried hiding the existence of this mystery sister from their son.

"How _dare_ you air family matters in front of current company?"

"He's my coach! He knows way more than you give him credit for. Half the time, _you_ reveal family secrets when you're fighting with Uncle Iwao!" Hisoka stood up from his seat, "You can forget about having me support the finances of this family. Reveal to Uncle Iwao on where you get your money from."

Nagare clicked his fingers and a maid came inside. He whispered into her ear, making her almost bolt out of the room. She returned in a short amount of time, holding a familiar manila envelope.

Hisoka's palms broke into a sweat. "Is that-"

Nagare dropped it onto the table, "Yes."

Watari gritted his teeth, curling his fingers into the fabric of his slacks, he tried not to react.

"Despite your age, I have complete control of every facet of your assets. You can leave, by all means, go right ahead, but you're not taking the money. See it as a going away gift for this family." Nagare told him.

Hisoka snapped. "You gave me no choice but to sign it."

"Don't forget, you signed this with your own hand. I own every right to the earnings you tried taking from this family." Nagare smirked, patting the contract before standing on his feet, Rui followed suit. "You may collect your clothing and vacate my home. I have given you that small courtesy. I'll give you a week to collect your fraction and I'll block your accounts."

After they left the room, Hisoka scrambled up, picking up the contract. Without a word, he ran to his old bedroom, Watari hot on his trail.

* * *

Hisoka slumped onto the locker room bench. His bag hit the floor with a thump. Covering his face with his trembling hands, he exclaimed in pure anguish. "Watari-san, he'll plunder through my accounts. He'll leave me penniless. I'm _doomed_."

Watari laid a hand on Hisoka's shoulder, applying pressure to aid comfort. "It'll be alright, Bon. Maybe the contract has a loophole in it...you're an adult now."

Hisoka snapped. "I doubt it. He was ready for the moment when I rebelled before he showed me the damn thing."

Watari winced, once Hisoka started swearing, it meant he began transcending into a self induced panic. "Listen, you can move in with me. I have saved up a vast amount of money where you don't have to worry about the costs. We can still rent out rink time and pay off your costumes for this season. Just worry about ice skating and passing the preliminaries."

"I can't." Hisoka shook his head, he removed his hands from covering the expression on his face. "I can't focus. This is looming over my head. I fell on the ice when I tried executing a toe loop. _A toe loop_."

Watari crouched in front of Hisoka and brushed the back of his fingers against Hisoka's cheek. "Bon, _I'm here_. I haven't abandoned you. Remember, we've worked all these years to bring out your best and we will continue on doing it."

Tired in appearance and spirit, Hisoka rasped out. "You'll stay with me?"

"You can't get rid of me." Watari declared. "We can rely on each other. The offer still stands, you can move in with me. I can vacate my spare bedroom of the memorabilia of my past. You're not alone anymore."

"Thanks, Watari-san."

"I apologize for eavesdropping, but," Watari and Hisoka turned as Tatsumi peeked from the corner of a set of lockers. "I know someone that may be able to help you."

* * *

Sitting in Hajime Terazuma's office elevated Hisoka's panic stricken mind. For days, he tried thinking in a positive light to push aside his overthinking mind. Nothing helped stray away the thoughts. His leg shook without control. He tried focusing on the trinkets which littered Terazuma's office instead of peeking at him reading the contract.

Checking up on Watari, his coach remained fixated on Terazuma instead of his phone. The sudden change of character brought warmness to his heart. It didn't surprise him. Watari insisted on training without pay and leave the thought of costs until the end of the season. His coach stayed at his side without a second thought.

Showing his quivering gloved hands into his pockets, he hid them from view. His leg was bad enough, having every part of his body show his nervousness mortified him. Showing weakness in front of Watari was fine, but not this stranger.

"Hmm...so Konoe-san set up this contract himself. Interesting." Terazuma muttered as he flipped to another page. "What...made you sign this? Were you coerced into signing? You were too young at the time."

Hisoka gulped. "I can't excuse my young age when I did it, but he left me no choice. He controlled every aspect of my life. As my father and head of the family, his word is law. Without his approval, I wouldn't have been able to start ice skating." He felt Watari's positive thoughts filtering through his body. He whispered. "Thank you."

Watari nodded with a smile, leaning close, he told him. "Anything for my Bon."

Terazuma checked through the paperwork and dissected the complicated threaded words used to confused both Hisoka and Watari. Taking a puff from his cigarette, he noticed from his peripheral that Hisoka cringed at the smell. Taking some consideration to heart, he snuffed out his cigarette into the tray while reading.

"He can't take a thing." Terazuma dropped the pile onto the table. "There's nothing in here that states that Nagare Kurosaki has legal claim over Kurosaki-san's assets. As a minor, yes, but as adult, nope. Besides, there is a small percentage, which the person who layered this contract, spun against Nagare. The five percent that was supposed to be for Kurosaki-san was meant for Nagare Kurosaki."

Watari slumped back on the seat, laughing in relief. " _Thank goodness._ "

Hisoka leaned forward, shocked and stumped. "This means...Konoe-san _helped_ me. He knew my father's demands were bullshit." He covered his face, concealing his oncoming tears. "All this time, I thought he took my father's side." Watari placed a protective hand on the middle of his back, not moving an inch.

Terazuma continued on, trying not to seem awkward at Hisoka's surprising emotional state. "You can start with transferring your money into another account and having me on standby. He might try to sue you because of this contract. I can easily take copies and highlight the areas he assumes apply to him."

Hisoka shakily replied. "Thank you."

* * *

Hisoka accepted the hot tea Tsuzuki brought him from their favorite nearby cafe. He didn't voice his surprise at the plastic bag Tsuzuki held in one of his free hands. Tsuzuki loved eating sugar more than the average person. He scooted a bit for Tsuzuki to sit right beside him. Shuffling into better positions on the bench, a gentle silence washed over them. Taking the first sips of their respective drinks, the chill left their bodies, warming up their chests.

Tsuzuki moved the bag onto the floor, making sure it remained in between his feet. Protective of his cinnamon rolls, he didn't want to forget about them when they left. He remembered forgetting a strawberry cake, ran back to get it, and someone already snatched it from where he left it.

Tsuzuki broke the silence. "How's your tea?"

"Good." Hisoka sipped. "You managed to get the right sugar intake."

Tsuzuki slurped his over sugared mess. "You'd make me go back to remake it if it was wrong." Hisoka arched a brow, "You can't deny it!"He transitioned into another topic. "Oh yeah, Tatsumi has been wondering about your consultation with Terazuma."

"Everything went better than expected." Hisoka commented as he stared at the setting sun. "Tatsumi-san didn't have to help me."

Tsuzuki slurped his coffee. "He might seem like a tight ass, but he always has the best interest of his employees and his friends. Tatsumi helped me out when my sister fell ill a few years ago. He had a friend who helped us lower the medical costs and applied Ruka for a program which helped us cover more of the total. He denies it, but he's a saint."

"Have you told him this yourself?"

Tsuzuki snickered. " _Oh yes_. The poor guy went bright red and downplayed everything. Even more so when my sister cooked him a huge spread as a thank you. I think he has a crush on her, then again, that might be wishful thinking. I wouldn't mind having him as my brother-in-law."

Hisoka set his cup of tea between his legs, warming up his thighs from the cold. "Tease him too much and it won't ever happen."

"You think?" Tsuzuki swirled his coffee around, pondering. "I might just have to push them in the right direction...any ideas?"

"I'm not helping you bother Tatsumi-san even more than you already do."

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki gulped some of his coffee. "Not helpful."

"I'm not supposed to help." Hisoka's lips lifted as he tried holding back a laugh.

"You're smiling! You said you had no sense of humor!"

"Who said I didn't?"

"You did, silly." Tsuzuki nudged Hisoka with his arm, a bit of pressure, not enough contact.

Hisoka controlled his natural impulse, instead, he focused on Tsuzuki's hands. "I have to admit, I can let myself relax now. I can pour all of myself into my programs. Watari and I may continue on without Nagare's interference. After all this time, Nagare never understood...my sensitivities."

Tsuzuki curled his fingers into the fabric of his slacks. "You didn't describe everything to me and I understood."

Hisoka removed his right glove and slid it into his pocket. "You _wanted_ to hear my words, he tuned me out, unless, it pertained to his interests." Using his naked hand, he hovered it over Tsuzuki's left hand. "You know—I haven't held hands with someone in years."

"Hmm?" Tsuzuki tore his gaze away from the sunset and noticed Hisoka's bare hand. "Are you sure? You always say that my mind doesn't know when to stop."

Hisoka laid his cheek on Tsuzuki's arm, keeping his pinking cheeks from Tsuzuki's gaze. " _Yes._ "

"O—Oh, okay." Tsuzuki gulped before maneuvering around Hisoka's hand and making first contact. Hisoka hitched his breath. "Cold?"

"A little bit. I don't mind."

Interlacing their fingers, Hisoka nor Tsuzuki made any move to get up from their spots after the darkness filled the sky.

* * *

Alongside Tatsumi, Tsuzuki kept his eyes plastered on Hisoka and Watari. Tuning out the boring talk about law, he kept a positive outlook for Hisoka. From the little information Hisoka told him, he sued his father over an old contract deal in order to let him skate. Tatsumi explained in detail to him before they entered the courtroom. Old family problems which landed on Hisoka's shoulders to solve.

Angered for Hisoka's sake, he hoped the court ruled in his favor and he left his family behind. From Terazuma's amazing work, he found passages which went into Hisoka's favor. Although, the news didn't calm down Hisoka's fears.

When they arrived, Hisoka stared at them in complete shock. Watari turned when he noticed Hisoka's reaction, waving at them with a downplayed smile. Turning away from them, Terazuma nodded in their direction before conversing with them.

The trial began and dragged on. Tensions rose on both sides as Terazuma tore down the foundation of the Kurosaki family. Describing how they relied on Hisoka Kurosaki's winnings and numerous sponsorship to keep the family afloat. The evidence worked against the family, bringing down their case.

Nagare's lawyer tried using the contract, but Terazuma pointed out areas which worked in Hisoka's favor. Terazuma smirked at the flustering babble the lawyer spat out through his attempt at winning the case.

After each side provided their evidence, the deliberations started.

Hisoka almost fainted at the verdict.

 _He won._

Watari pulled him into a tight hug. Tsuzuki almost jumped over the railing to pull them both into his arms. Tatsumi remained on his spot, watching them all with fondness. Seeing Terazuma collect his papers, he went toward him, striking up a conversation.

Nagare strolled out, his lawyers following him. Seething at the deception Konoe placed upon him after all this time.

* * *

Before Hisoka left for Japan's qualifiers, he made a pit stop at the ice rink. He almost bolted out the car, leaving Watari stumped in his seat. Once he made it inside, he searched for Tsuzuki throughout the front area. Asking one of the employees, he directed him toward the back. He located Tsuzuki talking with Tatsumi near the employees only area.

Tatsumi caught his eyes, stopping in mid conversation with Tsuzuki. He addressed him with a quirk of the lips. "Kurosaki-san." At the mention of Hisoka, Tsuzuki turned away from Tatsumi, his smile beaming and happy.

Hisoka said. "Tatsumi-san."

"Hisoka!" Tsuzuki went toward Hisoka and pulled him into a quick hug.

Hisoka stiffened before he relaxed in his embrace. Tsuzuki's vibrant energy encased him in another layer of a hug, making him burrow his face in Tsuzuki's chest. When Tsuzuki released him, he stepped back, trying to seem nonchalant. His pink face betrayed his thoughts.

Unassuming, Tsuzuki asked in surprise. "What are you doing here? Isn't your flight in a few hours? I thought you would be in the airport by now."

Hisoka coughed into his hand, "I ended up passing by and wanted to say goodbye in person."

Right beside them, Tatsumi curled his fingers in front of his face and bit his pointer finger. After watching their exchanges for months, he suspected Tsuzuki and Kurosaki's friendship ventured into new territory. Despite his suspicions, he heard nothing from Watari, that man always found out the latest gossip and relayed it to him.

Peering around, he noted that some of his braver employees came around to see Kurosaki. Yuma and Saya bounced on the soles of their feet, eager to greet Kurosaki. Making no moves toward Kurosaki, he saw their excitement of Kurosaki speaking with Tsuzuki.

He heard his underlings jesting about a betting pool on how long it would take Tsuzuki to ask Kurosaki out on a date. They didn't know that Kurosaki already dragged Tsuzuki toward a bakery in a sort of date.

Hisoka waved over at Yuma and Saya, earning him a squealed hello. "Anyway, I should get going. I have to do some good luck practices before getting on the flight."

"Hmm...maybe a kiss for good luck? It may help? Just kidding, ignore what I said." Tsuzuki backtracked before he caused awkwardness between them.

"Alright," Feeling spontaneous, Hisoka yanked Tsuzuki down and pressed their lips together.

Nearby people gasped, Saya and Yuma bumped their fists together, Tatsumi simply shook his head in amusement. Seemingly popping out of thin air, Watari placed an arm around Tatsumi's shoulders, making him jerk to the side. Watari placed a finger to his lips and motioned to the kissing couple not too far from them.

Hisoka broke contact and smirked. "I better get good luck from that kiss Tsuzuki."

Tsuzuki's face went bright red. He covered his mouth with his hand, surprised at Hisoka's impulsive gesture. His heart beat fast inside of his chest. Giving into his emotions, he embraced Hisoka into a tight hug.

Watari wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye, almost leaning onto Tatsumi. "My Bon is all grown up! I can't believe I was here to witness this amazing occasion. Too bad I couldn't take a photo of it. Your fans would be so happy to see your amorous display with your man."

Mortified, Hisoka snapped toward his beaming coach. "Good! I don't need you recording everything for Instagram. No one needs to know everything about a person. That's just not possible." Tsuzuki chuckled giving him one last squeeze. "I thought you were in the car!"

Watari smiled, wagging his finger. "I knew something was up when you wanted to pass by here. Don't forget, I made friends with everyone in this fine establishment. They know all about your canoodling with Tsuzuki. You can't keep anything from me" He clasped his hands together. "I feel like a proud father. I'll fondly remember this day as _Bon's Good Luck Kiss of the Ages!_ "

Hisoka rolled his eyes, ignoring his coach as he turned back to Tsuzuki. "You know which channel to watch the preliminaries right?"

"Yup! We're all going to watch it here." Tsuzuki released Hisoka from his hold. "I really mean it. Good luck out there tomorrow."

Hisoka smiled light, patting Tsuzuki's chest with the back of his gloved hand. "I'm going to represent Japan and come back with _gold._ I guarantee it."

* * *

 _"For the first time in his career, Kurosaki Hisoka has won gold! Breaking the world record of_ — _"_

Inside Tatsumi's vast apartment, where they held a small party, the rink's staff burst into cheers and applause. Beer bottles clinked, pictures of the screen were taken, live video, everything to commemorate this moment. Tsuzuki remained in the background, nursing his own beer while beaming at Hisoka's win. Hisoka worked long hours to keep up in top shape and it showed through in the Grand Prix

Tsuzuki checked his phone and got a notification from Instagram. Tapping the screen, he saw the picture of Hisoka grinning up at the camera with tears in his eyes. A smile so carefree and happy that Tsuzuki's heart flipped. Watari squished their cheeks together while holding up Hisoka's medal or all to see.

 **Coach. Y .Watari :** **My beloved Bon (Kurosaki_Hisoka) just won gold! His smile is just heart stopping! Send him all the love in the world! (Congratulatory emojis)**

Another notification came from Hisoka's own account, leaving Watari's profile, he looked at the picture. This one showed Hisoka as a fresh faced skater, wearing a bedazzled light green ensemble which accentuated his green eyes. From reading the caption, he knew Hisoka wrote this one out. This one lacked a single emoji which Watari tended to use when managing Hisoka's account.

 **Kurosaki_Hisoka: After working to the bone throughout all these years, I'm ecstatic that I won gold this season. I'm still settling into the reality that this isn't a dream. (Coach. Y. Watari) has guided me and helped me into the best skater I can be. I wouldn't be here without him and his unlimited support. Thank you all for the support and heartfelt comments throughout these last few months.**

The comments on Hisoka's picture far surpassed Watari's in a manner of minutes. Hisoka's fans poured their emotions into their congratulatory comments. Watari commented on Hisoka's post, crying emojis and hearts all over the place. Tsuzuki wrote down his own, trying not to add anything damning about their own private life. Kind of hard, but he thought he found the right balance.

 **CinnabonTsuzuki: This might get buried underneath all your fans happiness over your win, but here goes. Congratulations Hisoka! I'm glad my good luck charm helped you win! (A kissing emoji)**

 **Kurosaki_Hisoka: (CinnabonTsuzuki) Don't post such private information on my photos. (An unamused emoji)**

 **Coach. Y .Watari: (CinnabonTsuzuki) (Kurosaki_Hisoka) (A sunglasses emoji)**

An influx of notifications came from curious fans wanting to know his relationship with Hisoka. Tsuzuki yelped and turned of the app for it to die down. He imagined Hisoka furious face when he comes back to Japan. He pouted. No more kisses for a long time.


End file.
